have allowed this to happen. Then the people in their wisdom decided to go more conservative after 1980 and voted to take the leash off instead of tightening it up as conditions changed. "We the people" (not me!) called it getting off the backs of business, like that was a good thing.
No matter the system, they're all made up of people and only as good as responsible citizens make them. The same kinds of good people and bad actors are going to be running it and the same good citizens are going to try to stop stupid ones from being suckered into screwing everyone over. In other words, "it's not the capitalism, stupid, it's the stupid."
If only we could get rid of THAT, but at least our democracy offers us the best chance by far to protect ourselves and recover from mistakes by taking control back, and capitalism creates great wealth and wellbeing to spread around. If WE choose.
In contrast, there are big reasons why socialist states degrade into massive corruption and authoritarian oppression -- and poverty. Big poverty.
That's why we're never going to allow that to happen here. Those who don't mind losing some of their own important freedoms and thus imagine it's fine for everyone else too would do better to instead commit to controlling capitalism (we know how) and socializing a few big services, as the capitalist social democracies in Europe have. Or commit to a lifetime of disappointment.
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